Lather applying device



March 6, 1934. M, McNAB 1,950,318,

LATHER APPLYING DEVICE Filed March 31, 1932 m- Wmb v /vme Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES LATHER APPLYING DEVICE Leslie Murdoch McNab, Killara, near Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Application March 31, 1932, Serial No. 602,258 In Australia April 14, 1931 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a device whereby soap, lather, or other substances may be applied to the face and worked into the pores of the skin preparatory to the act of shaving, or for toilet pur poses. by the incorporation of air into a soap and water mixture.

The application of soap lather to the face by means of a brush only, does not ensure an effective or clean shave, especially when the beard is strong. Consequently it has become the practice to rub the lather into the skin by means of the fingers. This is not a convenient method, moreover it is very unpleasant owing to the lather working over the fingers. Apart from the inconvenience, the above method introduces a multiplicity of operations. It has also been proposed to provide a combined lather-ing brush and massaging device wherein the bristles are manually retractible but these are objectionable on account of the moving parts which require cleaning and introduce a secondary operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device in which there are no manually retractible parts tending to bring the beard into a condition more suitable for the operation of shaving, and which is capable of more effectively combining and improving the above operations without soiling the fingers.

According to the present invention the device has no retractible parts and is formed in at least two portions, one of which is of compressible material such as sponge rubber, and on the application of light intermittent pressure of being compressed in a holder and serving to form a lather on the skin termed the holder while the other portion, on the application of heavier and more sustained pressure is capable of massaging the skin or of working the lather or other substance into the pores of the skin.

It has been found that sponge rubber is very suitable for the formation, holding and application of the lather, and that for the working of the lather into the skin, a suitable surface may be formed from vulcanized rubber, in various configurations, and of various grades known in the trade.

According to the invention a handle or like holder is provided in or upon which is mounted the sponge rubber or the like by which the soap lather or other substance is formed. The formation of lather as already explained is the incorporation of air into a soap and water mixture and in this invention it is chiefly brought about by compression and expansion of the sponge rubber.

It may be explained that lather is formed- In the case of a rigid holder the sponge rubber will extend beyond the massaging surface, but when the holder itself can be compressed inwards by the fingers, as in the case of a holder made of rubber, to compress the rubber sponge and so 00 assist in lather formation, the length of the sponge is of necessity not so great and need not normally extend beyond the surface of the massaging surface formed upon the holder.

According to the invention, the sponge rubber is mounted in a non-retractible manner to the surface to be lathered that on light application it may be used to apply the lathering or other substance, but on heavier and more sustained pressure in the same manner the sponge rubber allows the massaging surface to come into contact with the skin and work the lather into the pores of the skin. By this means the desired operations can be carried out successfully by one device.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing wherein:-

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation illustrating one form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan View thereof.

Figure 3 is a part sectional elevation of a modification wherein the sponge rubber or the like, and the massaging portion are held in a metal holder. I

Figure 4 is a part sectional elevation illustrating a modification wherein the massaging portion is disposed at an angle to the holder.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the holder 8, which serves to form the handle of the device, is provided with a surface 9 capable of massaging the face or of working lather or other substance into the pores of the skin. This massaging surface 9 may take many forms; as illustrated in Figure 1, it comprises a plurality of rubber pintles which may be hollow. The massaging surface is preferably of vulcanized rubber of any suitable grade. If desired the holder may be provided with a surface 10 of suitable configuration for massaging face cream into the skin.

The holder 8 is adapted to receive a sponge rubber 11, for applying lather to the face. On the application of pressure the sponge rubber will expand and contract in the holder. As illustrated in Figure 1, the sponge rubber 11 is disposed in an annular recess or cavity in the holder 8, formed by a core 12, which is part of the holder 8. Said recess may also contain a 1m lathering substance such as soap or shaving cream or the like.

It will be readily understood that the sponge rubber 11 may be disposed in the holder in many ways.

As regards the massaging surface 9, this may consist of ridges in various patterns or shapes, or of hollow circular projections or pintles as above described, or it may consist of a flat surface covered with small cup shaped depressions approximately gth inch in diameter, and into which the bristles of the beard may enter, and be given a rotary and flexing action, tending to work the lather round the bristle and soften it preparatory to shaving. In some cases the massaging portion of the device may be flexible to enable it to follow different contours of the face or body under pressure from the fingers.

If desired, the outer edge 13 of the massaging surface 9 may be curved upwardly in the form of a channel, or downwardly in the form of a flange, tending to prevent the lather working upon the fingers of the person using the device.

The handle or holder 8 can be made from rubber, metal or other suitable material. If made of rubber advantage can be taken of its compressibility to assist formation of lather in the sponge rubber by squeezing.

In Figure 3 the lathering material 22 is confined in a somewhat spherical shaped casing 23 of vulcanized rubber having projections 24 or the like to form a massaging surface. The casing 23 has at each end an opening 25 and contains the sponge rubber 22, which forms, holds and applies the lather upon compression and expansion of the casing 23. The lower opening 25 is provided to facilitate removal of the lathering material 22 from said casing.

The modification illustrated in Figure 4 is somewhat like that shown in Figures 1 and 2, except that the massaging surface 26 is disposed at an angle to the holder 2'7, the lathering material 28 being disposed in a central cavity in the holder.

The device is intended to completely replace the usual shaving brush, and give a better shave because of its massaging action.

To use the device as illustrated in Figure 1, for example, water is taken up in the sponge rubber, lathering substance is then placed on the face, or on the said sponge rubber, and the face is rubbed lightly with the sponge rubber, if necessary compressing the holder until a suificient lather is formed as a preliminary step to massaging. When this is done greater and more sustained pressure is used and the lathered skin is massaged by the massaging surface. A final lather is formed by intermittent pressure on the sponge rubber. After shaving the device should be washed in water and dried.

I claim.

A device for forming on, and applying soap lather, to the skin, comprising a holder, a cavity in the holder, a sponge rubber portion disposed in the cavity in a non-retractible manner and normally projecting therefrom, said holder also having a massaging surface surrounding the cavity and projecting beyond the holder.

L. MURDOCH MCNAB. 

